Hoohoo, friends of the blade.
2024 is coming to an end. It was a wild year, both in general life and reading. I read quite a few genres, though definitely mostly romance, what else is new?! I also read suprisingly many books in German. Surprising because I tend to read only a handful of German books per year but I fell in love with a German NA series and read an autobiography as well as listened to some audiobooks, too. So without further ado, how about we have a closer look at books I’ve read and which I especially enjoyed each month?
đłď¸âđ = LGBT+ main character | âĽď¸ = romance | âď¸ = fantasy | đď¸ = historical
JANUARY: Funny Story by Emily Henry âĽď¸
Daphne always loved the way her fiancĂŠ Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling itâŚright up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.
Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a childrenâs librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petraâs ex, Miles Nowak.
Scruffy and chaoticâwith a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love balladsâMiles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that sheâs either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?
But itâs all just for show, of course, because thereâs no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancĂŠâs new fiancĂŠeâs exâŚright?
I read Funny Story as an ARC and unsurprising to nobody, I absolutely adored it. Emily Henry can do no wrong for me and her romances are on another level for me. I liked the humor and the characters and how different yet compatible they are. Read my full review for Funny Story.
FEBRUARY: To Wield a Crown by Helen Scheuerer (Curse of the Cyren Queen #4)âď¸
A final quest. A people divided. Can one cyren turn the tides of fate?
The time has come to obtain the final birthstone of Saddoriel. Reeling from a near-deadly sacrifice, Roh must rally all her strength if she is to take her place upon the throne.
But with cyrenkind divided and enemies closing in, the road to Lochloria and beyond is more dangerous than ever. An ancient prophecy looms, loyalties are tested and Roh races against the clock that threatens to undo all sheâs fought for.
As a centuries-long conflict comes to a head and forces of nature collide, Roh has to decide if there is more than one kind of magic in this world, and whether or not she has the power to harness it.
Some bonds will solidify, while others will be fractured forever â but all must take up their swords and face the final battle for a better Saddoriel.
Will Roh emerge from the perils victorious, or will the trials claim her at last?
The Curse of the Cyren Queen quartet has accompanied me for years and is very dear to my heart. Letting go of Roh and her friends felt weird somehow. I loved following her journey to become the cyren queen she rightfully is despite all the obstacles in her way. I also really liked the relationships throughout the whole series and how the characters developed to become the people they are in this last instalment. To Wield a Crown was such a great finale!
MARCH: Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan âď¸
Welcome to Tiankawi â shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, thatâs how it first appears.
But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on peering down from skyscrapers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk â sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappasâwho live in the polluted waters below.
For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to reform. At last, she has the ear of the city council and a chance to lift the repressive laws that restrict fathomfolk at every turn. But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn’t hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when a water dragon is exiled to the city.
New arrival Nami is an aristocratic water dragon with an opinion on everything. Frustrated by the lack of progress from Mira’s softly-softly approach in gaining equality, Nami throws her lot in with an anti-human extremist group, leaving Mira to find the headstrong youth before she makes everything worse.
And pulling strings behind everything is Cordelia, a second-generation sea-witch determined to do what she must to survive and see her family flourish, even if it means climbing over the bodies of her competitors. Her political game-playing and underground connections could disrupt everything Nami and Mira are fighting for.
When the extremists sabotage the annual boat race, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Even Nami realises her new friends are not what they seem. Both she and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth it, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.
I simply loved this. It’s definitely a new all time favourite. It’s political, looking at different angles of conflicts. You can feel the desperation and anger, the belief in what’s right in all of them, can somehow understand them all while still picking favourites. I liked that there were established relationships already and liked to see how they changed with the events of the story. I also really liked how the different characters were written as well as the world building. It made for such a rich and complex story! Read my full review of Fathomfolk.
APRIL: Babel by R.F. Kuang âď¸đď¸ & The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic (All for the Game #4) đłď¸âđ – It’s a tie!
Oxford, 1836.
The city of dreaming spires.
It is the centre of all knowledge and progress in the world.
And at its centre is Babel, the Royal Institute of Translation. The tower from which all the power of the Empire flows.
Orphaned in Canton and brought to England by a mysterious guardian, Babel seemed like paradise to Robin Swift.
Until it became a prisonâŚ
But can a student stand against an empire?
I could talk about Babel for days and not tire of it. It took a few weeks for me to get through this book, mostly because I had to stop reading about three times per page to google something and then went down a wikipedia rabbit hole. Or a grammatical one. The way this book uses language is simply phenomenal. Firstly, the way Babel is written; the writing style is unemotional, analytical, detailed. There are big words thrown around and at parts it reads like an academic text. It even has footnotes. Second, the role language plays a role in the story and how that is interwoven with the writing is just.. argh!!! See me clapping, wringing my hands, making chef’s kisses. Read my full review of Babel.
My name is Jean Moreau. My place is at Evermore. I belong to the Moriyamas.
It is a truth Jean has built his life around, a reminder this is the best he can hope for and all he deserves. But when he is stolen from Edgar Allan University and sold to a more dangerous master, Jean is forced to contend with a life outside of the Nest for the first time in five years. The Foxes call his transfer to California a fresh start; Jean knows it is little more than a golden cage.
Captain Jeremy Knox is facing his final year with the USC Trojans and fifth straight year falling short of the championships trophy he desperately craves. Taking in the nationâs best defenseman is a no-brainer, even if that man is a Raven. But Jean is no monster, just a man with no hope or desire for a future, and when Evermore’s collapse starts dragging Jean’s hideous secrets to light, Jeremy is forced to contend with the cost of victory.
In what world could an AFTG book not be a favourite of the month? The All for the Game series and its characters have my whole heart, I don’t just love these books, it’s more than that. I seem to have succesfully integrated them into my personality, they have become a part of me. And my god, do I want to keep Jean Moreau safe from all the bad in this world. I ache for him and I wish him only the best and I’m also here for Neil to simply waltz in, orchestrate murder and leave. Just… I can’t put my feelings into words, there are too many of them. I am filled to the brim with love and anguish and I am regularly overflowing (I cry over these books and I’m fine about it). Thank you Nora for writing more in this world, as if my heart hasn’t suffered enough yet.
MAY: If Only You by Chloe Liese (Bergman Brothers #6) đłď¸âđâĽď¸
Ziggy
I’m the youngest player on the National Soccer team, the baby of my family, and thoroughly sick of being underestimated, so I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands . . .
My brother’s teammate and best friend Seb needs to save his reputation. I want to give mine an edge. So I propose a fake friendship with real spending time in the public eye, my good-girl image and his bad-boy notoriety rubbing off on each other. But will it be as easy as I think to keep him in the (fake) friend zone?
Sebastian
My hockey career and sponsorships are in jeopardy, so when Ziggy Bergman proposes a public “friendship” to rehab my image, it’s an offer that even a self-respecting reprobate like myself can’t refuse.
It’s fake a friendship with Ziggy, fix my reputation, and get back to hockey – the one and only thing I love . . . until I find myself falling for the last person I should my best friend’s sister.
I love the whole Bergman Brothers series and I flew threw them all in May but my favourite was If Only You! I loved Ziggy and how she grows from book one to her own book. I liked the dynamic Ziggy and Seb have, the friendship and love growing between them. I love how Ziggy grows into the person she is and stands up for herself and how Seb tries to be his best self and is not below accepting help even when it’s reluctantly. I absolutely adored these two!
JUNE: The Someday Daughter by Ellen O’Clover
Years before Audrey St. Vrain was born, her mother, Camilla, shot to fame with Letters to My Someday Daughter, a self-help book encouraging women to treat themselves with the same love and care theyâd treat their own daughters. While the world considers Audrey lucky to have Camilla for a mother, the truth is that Audrey knows a different side of being the someday daughter. Shipped off to boarding school when she was eleven, she feels more like a promotional tool than a member of Camillaâs family.
Audrey is determined to create her own identity aside from being Camillaâs daughter, and sheâs looking forward to a prestigious summer premed program with her boyfriend before heading to college and finally breaking free from her motherâs world. But when Camilla asks Audrey to go on tour with her to promote the bookâs anniversary, Audrey canât help but think that this is the last, best chance to figure out how they fit into each otherâs livesânot as the someday daughter and someday mother, but as themselves, just as they are.
What Audrey doesnât know is that spending the summer with Camilla and her tour staffâincluding the disarmingly honest, distressingly cute video intern, Silasâwill upset everything sheâs so carefully planned for her life.
Ellen O’Clover knows how to hit right into my heart. There is so much anger in this book, so much want and hope and love. I enjoyed Audrey’s story and especially how she was written. How she feels, how she wants and needs and acts because of it, how she grows and thinks. I truly enjoyed the character relationships, too, and how they change and develop the more the characters get to know about each other. Read my full review of The Someday Daughter.
JULY: Foul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong (Fould Lady Fortune #2)âď¸đď¸
Winter is drawing thick in 1932 Shanghai, as is the ever-nearing threat of a Japanese invasion.
Rosalind Lang has suffered the worst possible fate for a national spy: sheâs been exposed. With the media storm camped outside her apartment for the infamous Lady Fortune, sheâs barely left her bedroom in weeks, plotting her next course of action after Orion was taken and his memories of Rosalind wiped. Though their marriage might have been a sham, his absence hurts her more than any physical wound. She wonât rest until she gets him back.
But with her identity in the open, the task is near impossible. The only way to leave the city and rescue Orion is under the guise of a national tour. Itâs easy to convince her superiors that the countryside needs unity more than ever, and who better than an immortal girl to stir pride and strength into the people?
When the tour goes wrong, however, everything Rosalind once knew is thrown up in the air. Taking refuge outside Shanghai, old ghosts come into the open and adversaries turn to allies. To save Orion, they must find a cure to his motherâs traitorous invention and take this dangerous chemical weapon away from impending foreign invasionâbut the clock is ticking, and if Rosalind fails, itâs not only Orion she loses, but her nation itself.
This was my favourite in the Secret Shanghai series, I simply loved all the action, the characters reconnecting, meeting old friends all while being spies and agents. Chloe Gong manages to combine history, fiction and science in such a cool and effortless way. I loved reading the different POVs and getting a glimpse in different people’s heads.
AUGUST: Pretty Savage – SĂźĂer als Verrat by Tami Fischer (Manhattan Elite #2)âĽď¸
Nichts ist sĂźĂer Verrat â auĂer wenn du selbst dabei zerbrichst âŚNach allem, was Sarah in New York erlebt hat, weiĂ sie nicht mehr, wem sie noch glauben kann. Selbst Monroe und ihre eigene Zwillingsschwester Payton misstraut sie. Zudem muss sich Sarah eingestehen, dass sie mehr als nur Freundschaft fĂźr ihren Nachbarn Holden zu empfinden beginnt. Um ihre Rachepläne nicht zu gefährden, beschlieĂt sie, die skrupellosen Spielchen der High-Society-Clique weiter mitzuspielen. Was sie nicht weiĂ: Jemand hat sich an ihre Fersen geheftet und droht weit mehr, als nur ihre wahre Identität zu lĂźften.
This book was so good!! I already loved the first in the series and it was one of those “it’s 3am but oh my god I need to order book 2 immediately!!” cases and I couldn’t get to it fast enough. The intrigues and secrets but also the friendships, the character dynamics in general are so well written and it’s so much fun to uncover what’s happening alongside the characters. I’m SO excited for book 3 in december!!!
SEPTEMBER: Us Against the Likes by Marie Voinson
An (anxious) travel influencer, a sister (first and forever), a (hopefully) future award winner.
Against her motherâs wishes, Abby Martins drops out of university to follow her dream: share her travel stories with the world.
With over 90 000 followers and her sisterâs help, a talented photographer and her forever best friend, Abbyâs thriving on this new path. Sheâs managing her anxiety (for the most part) and sheâs (almost) making a living out of her passion.
Winning a prestigious travel influencer award might just be the thing to push her off that ledge.
Desperate to prove herself, Abby steps out of her comfort zone. From Scotland to Italy, from unexpected influencer trips to thrilling collaborations, Abby stretches herself and her own mental health thin for the likes.
But what, and most importantly, who, will she risk to lose on her way?
I really, really enjoyed Us Against the Likes! I especially loved the sister relationship and how it changes, grows, moves with the two sisters Abby and Liz. I also liked Abby as a narrator and how she sees the influencer world, how her mind works and how she tries to grow not only with her account but as a person, too. I also loved the descriptions of all the destinations she travels to and what they mean for her journey! Read my full review of Us Against the Likes.
OCTOBER: The Silence of Bones by June Hur đď¸
Joseon (Korea), 1800. Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: âMay you live in interesting times.â Indentured to the police bureau, sheâs been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.
As they delve deeper into the dead woman’s secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.
But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.
Even though I rarely pick up historical fiction or crime, I do when it’s in combination and written by June Hur. Her books are always incredibly atmospheric and she weaves fiction so well into history, making it even more interesting by throwing in one or two or more murders. I absolutely love her characters and especially the protagonists and in The Silence of Bones, it is not different. I adored reading this story from Seol’s POV and her path to the truth. June Hur has definitely become an auto buy and auto read author for me!
NOVEMBER: Darker by Four by June C.L. Tan đłď¸âđâď¸
Rui has one goal in mindâhoning her magic to avenge her motherâs death.
Yiran is the black sheep of an illustrious family. The world would be at his feetâhad he been born with magic.
Nikai is a Reaper, serving the Fourth King of Hell. When his master disappears, the underworld begins to crumbleâŚand the human world will be next if the King is not found.
When an accident causes Ruiâs power to transfer to Yiran, everything turns upside down. Without her magic, Rui has no tool for vengeance. With it, Yiran finally feels like he belongs. That is, until Rui discovers she might hold the key to the missing death god and strikes a dangerous bargain with another King.
As darkness takes over, three paths intersect in the shadows. And three lives bound by fate must rise against destiny before the barrier between worlds falls and all Hell breaks looseâliterally.
This book was such a wild ride with a lot of action and twists everywhere. I liked the dynamics between the characters especially, how they change and flow, how their attachments to each other grow and what might rip them apart, how their emotions and feelings change. I also enjoyed reading about them individually because each character was very distinctive. The setting was also very atmospheric and interesting with an apocalyptic feeling to everything while still reading lightly. I absolutely loved this!
DECEMBER: Lost & Lassoed by Lyla Sage (Rebel Blue Ranch #3)âĽď¸
Teddy Andersen doesnât have a plan. Sheâs never needed one before. Sheâs always been more of a go with the flow type of girl, but for some reason, the flow doesnât seem to be going her way this time.
Her favorite vintage suede jacket has a hole in it, her sewing machine is broken, and her best friend just got engaged. Suddenly, everything feels like itâs starting to change. Teddyâs used to being a leader, but now she feels like sheâs getting left behind, wondering if life in the small town she loves is enough for her anymore.
Gus Ryder has a lot on his plate. He doesnât know whatâs taking care of his familyâs 8,000 acre ranch, or parenting his spunky six-year-old daughter, who is staying with him for the summer. Gus has always been the dependable one, but when his workload starts to overwhelm him, he has to admit that he canât manage everything on his own. He needs help.
His little sisterâs best friend, the woman he canât stand, is not who he had in mind. But when no one else can step in, Teddy’s the only option heâs got. Teddy decides to use the summer to try and figure out what she wants out of life. Gus, on the other hand, starts to worry that heâll never find what he needs.
Tempers flare, tension builds, and for the first time ever, Gus and Teddy start to see each other in a different light. As new feelings start to simmer below the surface, they must decide whether or not to act on them. Can they keep things cool? Or will both of them get burned?
I normally don’t like when my romances come with kids but I love Riley. And I absolutely enjoyed Teddy and Gus’ story. I liked their fights and their heart to hearts, I liked how they grow closer to each other, finding good qualities where they both thought there were none. The two have so much love to give. I also liked how they actually act very mature and rational while still being emotional wrecks. I think this is my favourite in the series so far!
What are some of your favourite 2024 reads? Have you read any of mine and what did you think about them? What books are you looking forward to in 2025? What was your most read genre in 2024?
Until next time,
